Encourage Students To Take Online Exam On "Cow Science": UGC Tells Universities

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has ordered all vice-chancellors of universities across the country to "encourage" students to take an online voluntary national-level exam on ''Gau Vigyan'' or cow science.

The ''Kamdhenu Gau Vigyan Prachar-Prasar Examination'' will be held on February 25, and students from primary, secondary and senior secondary schools as well as colleges can appear for the test. Apart from students, general public can also take the exam.

The multiple-choice question-based examination will be conducted in 11 regional languages and English by the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA), a commission constituted by the government for conservation, protection and development of cows, reported India Today.

The examinees will get certificates and prizes after answering the objective multiple-choice questions (MCQs).

The exam aims to "infuse curiosity into all Indians about cows and make them aware of the unexplored potential and business opportunities a cow can offer, even after it stops giving milk", the RKA had said in its notification.

In a letter to vice-chancellors, UGC secretary Rajnish Jain said that "you are aware the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, established in February 2019, has been working on dissemination of information on economic, scientific, environmental, health, agriculture and spiritual relevance of indigenous cow in the country".

"I write this to request you, to give wide publicity to this initiative and encourage students to enrol or register themselves for this examination. This may also be brought to the notice of the colleges affiliated to your university," the letter read.

'Gau Vigyaan' Syllabus

The study material for the examination has emerged as the most interesting part of this initiative. The 'syllabus' attributes the occurrence of earthquakes to cow slaughter and refers to Jersey cows not being as emotive as Indian cows.

"Physicists M M Bajaj, Ibrahim and Vijayraj Singh have proposed the theory that animal slaughter and natural calamities like earthquakes have an interrelationship and research papers on this theory have been presented in many international conferences," the syllabus mentions.

The syllabus differentiates between 'desi' cows and 'exotic' cows and highlights the health benefits of desi cow's byproducts. It mentions that the quality of milk of Jersey cow is not at all good, but the quantity is more.

"Color of Indian cow milk is light yellow as it has traces of gold in it", a document that aims to offer help for an exam mentions.

Mentioning cow dung, the syllabus mentions: "In 1984, more than 20,000 people died due to gas leaks in Bhopal. People living in houses with cow dung coated walls were not affected."

Among other absurd information, the study material also mentions karma as a deterrent for cow slaughter for beef consumption.

Also Read: Govt Announces 'Gau Vigyan' Exam, Syllabus Includes Misinformation About Cows